manifestations

Mafuyu couldn’t sleep yesterday. Ena has been running through her mind for so long.

It didn’t help when a literal tiny Ena was sort of living with her.

Yesterday, she took Mafuyu’s coloured pens and doodled all over a page on Mafuyu’s notebook. Mafuyu tore the page out and let Little Ena doodle to her heart’s content. It was quite amusing to see a being that was shorter than her pens handling said pens.

Little Ena drew a lot of things. She used an orange pen to draw a ginger haired guy with a grumpy face. Akito, maybe? She used a pink pen to draw Airi and Mizuki, and a blue pen for Kanade.

And then she used a purple pen to draw Mafuyu. A Mafuyu with bunny ears.

It made Mafuyu wonder if Ena had encountered a tiny version of her, too.

Maybe she could ask her.

“Asahina- senpai? Asahina- senpai!” A voice cut through Mafuyu’s thoughts and she put on yet again her good student facade.

“I’m sorry! Just a little lost in thoughts. What were you saying?” Mafuyu greeted her junior in her cheery voice.

”I was just wondering if you can help me with a math question?”

“Asahina-senpai! I need help too!” And another voice called out to her.

Leave me alone.

Mafuyu wanted to say. It’s lunchtime but she can never have a bit of peace and silence.

Suddenly, there was a buzz and a vibration in her pocket. Someone was calling her. Mafuyu excused herself to check who it was.

Ena

She froze on the spot, not sure if she should, or want to pick it up. Her phone stopped buzzing for a second, only for it to light up again with the same caller.

Mafuyu gulped and pressed the answer button.

“Hello..?”

“Ah, you finally picked up. It’s lunchtime for you right? Can you come down to the entrance for a while?” The familiar voice came from the other end of the line.

Mafuyu doesn’t remember the last time she had felt this nervous around someone that wasn’t her mother.

“Okay.” Mafuyu said and quickly made her way down to the entrance.

It’s 1pm, and Ena usually would be still sleeping. Why on earth did she come all the way to her school?

Was she here to find Mafuyu? It could be a possibility right? Thinking about that, Mafuyu’s heart pounded faster as she ran towards the entrance.

There she was. Standing at Miyamasuzaka’s entrance, with her back hunched over, carrying a person on her back.

Carrying a person on her back?

“There you are.” Ena was panting, and the summer sun was unforgivingly hot in the afternoon. Her school uniform was soaked and Mafuyu could see sweat droplets dripping down from her chin, glistening under the sunlight.

Ena put the person she was carrying down from her back. Mafuyu recognised said person immediately. It was the eccentric underclassman with the most dazzling personality Mafuyu had ever encountered in her life - Otori Emu.

However, today, Emu’s smile was hindered by the pain that was coming from her swollen ankle.

“Asahina-senpai…! Hello!” Albeit the pain, Emu greeted Mafuyu with her best smile at the moment.

“Otori-san? Ena? What happened…?” Mafuyu was genuinely confused.

“This girl, she runs to Kamiyama whenever she has the chance to! I bumped into her when I went out today and she tripped and sprained her ankle. So I carried her all the way back here.” Ena tried her best to explain what happened in between breaths.

Afterwards, Mafuyu took Emu to the infirmary. Though, not before looking back at Ena. They made eye contact for a split second, before Ena looked away and walked to wherever.

Mafuyu was this close to running after Ena, if it wasn’t for Emu talking to her.

“Sorry for troubling you and Ena-san, Asahina-senpai.” Emu apologised as she hopped on one leg with her arm slung over Mafuyu’s shoulder for support.

Ena-san. Huh. First name basis.

“No worries, Otori-san.” Mafuyu smiled at her.

“EEK!!” Emu shrieked with a horrified expression.

After another long day with the archery club at school, Mafuyu finally went back home. She took a shower and had dinner before she sat down on her desk to do her work. She was halfway through her assignment when a notification popped up on her phone.

Direct Messages

Ena: Hey. Is Emu-chan okay now?

Mafuyu: Yeah. I think so.

Ena: Ok. Good.

Mafuyu felt like she should type something, felt like she should continue the conversation for longer.

Mafuyu: Are you okay?

Ena: Huh?

Mafuyu: She bumped into you. Did you fall too?

Ena: Oh. Yeah I did. But it’s just some minor scratches.

Mafuyu: Okay. Be careful next time.

Ena: Yeah yeah, ok.

There was silence for two minutes whereby both sides were online but there were no more texts exchanged. Mafuyu was still in Ena’s chat. Maybe she’s talking to someone else?

Mafuyu: See you at Nightcord later.

Nightcord voice channel

“Okay, I’m done with the drawing. Take a look.”

“Wow! looks great!”

“I agree. I think it’s a great fit for our next song.”

“The colours here are a bit weird, the lines here are a bit off.”

“Mafuyu straight forward as always-“

“Oh. Okay.”

Ena just silenced the whole of Nightcord. It was so silent you could hear somebody’s fan whirring in the background.

“What? Why is everybody so quiet all of a sudden?”

“Uh… isn’t Enanan a little scary today?”

“No?”

“I think we should all call it a day. Especially Enanan. I’ll send the final version of the song soon.”

“Oh, yeah I agree with Kanade. Great job everyone! Bye bye~”

Both Mizuki and Kanade left the call, and when Ena was about to leave as well, she paused for a second. Mafuyu was still here.

If you have nothing to say to me, so do I.

Ena left the call.

After coming back from the toilet, Ena received a new message.

Mafuyu: I’m sorry.

Ena: Why are you apologising all of a sudden

Mafuyu: I think I made you angry

Ena: Oh, if you’re talking about just now, I’m not.

Mafuyu: Okay.

Mafuyu: [typing]

Ena: [Offline]

Can I see you soon|

Can I se|

Can|

Maybe it’s still not the time to ask Ena to see her again.

Meow

Mafuyu turned her head to the source of the purring.

Little Ena was sitting on her desk, staring at her with her tail swaying slowly sideways. Mafuyu let her climb onto her palms and she brought her closer to her face.

A random thought came across Mafuyu’s mind.

In a certain fairytale, when a princess kissed a frog, it turned into a prince.

If Mafuyu kisses Little Ena, will she turn into the real Ena?

Mafuyu didn't think twice about it as she brought her closer and closer until she felt a gentle pressure on her lips. She holds for one, two, three seconds.

To her dismay, there was no magical transformation or anything of that sort.

Only a Little Ena with her face as red as an apple, as she plopped down onto Mafuyu’s palm on her back.

Even if there wasn’t the result she hoped for, the sight of an embarrassed Little Ena wasn’t that bad. It reminded Mafuyu of the time when Ena first kissed her on the lips.

“Stop looking at me like that! It’s embarrassing!” The first thing Ena did after pulling back from Mafuyu’s lips was to scold her.

“Ena’s lips are warm.” Mafuyu said.

“If it wasn’t, you should be concerned.”

When Mafuyu sees Ena again, she plans to kiss her.

(And maybe also ask if Ena could carry her on her back too.)